All In A Day's Work
by sweetheartgrl13
Summary: When Tony Stark is gravely injured, he calls on a very special doctor to help him. Turning kind of dark in these next few chapters...
1. Tony Stark

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of this story exept for the plot. **

**Please enjoy my story! I've been planning this story for a while and im working on ch 2 right now! Please review people!**

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Chapter 1

Tony Stark hovered over the area, surveying the damage. He smiled, satisfied with his work. All that was left of the piles of weapons was smoke and scrap metal.

"A job well done, eh Jarvis?" he joked.

"Brilliant sir," came the clipped British voice from the speakers. Stark turned and flew off towards the setting sun. It was a very uneventful flight back. Tony used the time to relax and listen to his music. When he got back home he wasn't looking forward to getting the suit off.

* * *

"I need to find another way to do this Jarvis," Tony whined.

"Would you like me to do a little research tonight, sir?" Jarvis responded as Tony squirmed with the machines.

"Yes, I would actually," Tony winced. Ten minutes and a couple bruises and swear words later, Tony was free of the suit.

"Sir, you have a meeting with the head of the R&D department tomorrow," Jarvis informed Tony as he walked upstairs.

"Thank you, Jarvis," Tony mumbled, yawning. He headed straight up to his bedroom, grateful for his warm, soft bed.

The Next Day

Tony woke up bright and early at six in the morning to Jarvis' outlook on the day. He sat up on his bed and stretched. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and went through his morning routine. He was in the kitchen straightening out his suit when pepper walked into the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," Pepper smiled.

"Good morning Pepper," he yawned.

"Long night?" she asked sitting down in one of the chairs at the table.

"Yes actually." Tony grabbed a granola bar from the pantry and unwrapped it.

"Don't get that on your suit, Tony. You don't have time to get cleaned up," she said. Tony smiled as he looked down at his watch.

"Ready to go?" he asked between bites.

"Yep," she said standing up. Hogan was just pulling up to Tony's house in the Rolls Royce as they walked out.

The main building to Stark Industries was currently under repair from the showdown with Stane. The damage was bad but he already had people working on it. All the other buildings were fine, so most people still were able to work. For that, Tony was thankful. With Stane gone, Tony was able to convince the board to switch to Arc Reactor technology. He had given his researchers a design for a chest piece like his own but with crucial differences. After all, Now that he was a "super hero" he didn't want anyone to be able to get rid of him like Stane almost did.

"We're here," Pepper said pulling Tony from his thoughts. He stepped out of the car after Pepper and straightened his tie.

"How do I look?" he asked as Pepper turned to him.

"Very professional," she said making some last minute adjustments.

"Thank you." He said heading for the building with Pepper following closely behind. He didn't notice the people staring until he got in the elevator. One of his employees was glancing over at him every couple seconds. Tony looked over at him and smiled. He was sure he heard Pepper snickering at his response. The man stumbled out of the elevator and Tony sighed. Pepper looked over at him, smiling ever so slightly.

"What was that about?" Tony asked after the doors slid shut. Pepper giggled and shrugged. Tony shook his head. "I can tell it's going to be a long day already."

The doors slid open and Tony walked straight back to his office. As the doors closed behind him, the television turned on and Tony poured himself a drink. The anchors on the news station blurred into the background as Tony fell deep into thought. He almost wished he hadn't told the press that he was Iron Man. Tony looked down at where the miniature arc reactor was nestled in his chest. It was one of those things that actually comforted him. Tony took a small sip of the scotch and stared out at what his father had created and he had expanded. He was sure that the people down in the parking lot were looking up at his office and wondering what he was doing.

Tony leaned back and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt very uneasy. This feeling came from his chest right where the arc reactor was. He knew this feeling. It always came before something bad happened. His eyes flew open and he searched for the source of the dread. He quickly shut the television off and heard a small ticking noise. Instinct told him to get away as soon as possible. As Tony threw himself across his desk, there was an explosion. The windows shattered and a sharp pain in Tony's chest blinded him. He curled up in a ball on the other side of his desk as the room was riddled with bullets. Just in time, the protective metal curtain he had installed came down to stop the bullets. As soon as the metal came all the way down, Pepper ran in the room, a look of horror on her face and a cell phone in her hand.

"Oh my God, Tony! Are you alright?" she cried.

"Chest," he moaned. Pepper looked to his chest and saw a perfectly round hole that was quickly staining with red.

"No, no, no. This can't be happening," she whispered, hysteria showing through her normally in-control eyes. "Doctor. We need a doctor!" Tony knew it was bad. He also knew there was only one doctor who could save him. There wasn't much time. The darkness was closing in on him. Before Tony passed out he said two words that could save him if he got there in time:

"Dr. House."


	2. Gregory House

**Disclaimer: again, i dont own any of this stuff. I really wish i did....**

**Well I would like to comment on my readers! I've been following how many readers I've had and its up to 88 as of 5:17 PM central time. (haha so specific!) Well I would like to quickly thank all of my readers so far! Read more and review, review, review! thanx!**

Chapter 2

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Dr. House limped down the hallway, as normal. He was thirty minutes late, as normal. He carried a bottle of Vicodin in his pocket, as normal. He pushed open the glass door to his office and collapsed into his desk chair. In the other glass room, connected to his office, sat Foreman, Taub, and Thirteen. House noticed that they looked very bored but he didn't really care. He checked his e-mail but there was nothing new. He reluctantly got up and limped into the other room.

"So, who do we have today?" asked House. Thirteen looked up from the newspaper she was reading.

"No one," she said bluntly, going back to the paper. House stared at her confused.

"No one?" he muttered. Thirteen shook her head without looking up. House stood there for a second and then walked straight out of the room. His mind was a blur, trying to figure why he wouldn't have a patient.

He arrived at Cuddy's office, still confused and slightly angry. He burst through the doors and spooked Cuddy.

"Is this pay back for skipping clinic duty? Or is this just your new definition of fun?" he ranted.

"What are you talking about House?" she asked.

"I'm talking about my current lack of patients," he spat.

"Oh, that. You actually have one patient today. He's specially requested you," Cuddy explained. House calmed down a bit.

"Who is he?"

"Tony Stark," she replied with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Who?" House asked, confused. Cuddy's jaw dropped.

"You don't know who Tony Stark is?"

"No," House said.

"He's been all over the news lately! Ever heard of Iron Man?" Cuddy asked.

"Oh, him? Why doesn't he just go to his neighbor mechanic?" House jibed.

"Not funny, House. From what they told me, Mr. Stark has been severely hurt and needs to go to a trustworthy doctor. He has apparently heard about you and wants you to be the one to help him."

"Really, now?"

"Yes. Your team is not to know about this one. He'll be here soon so I want you to be in Mr. Stark's room and no messing around. You hear me?" Cuddy warned, sternly.

"Ruin the fun, why don't you?" House whined. Cuddy shook her head as he walked out of the room.

"Room 235 in the private room area!" she called after him.

House smiled to himself as he thought about the fun he could have with this patient. When he got back to his office, House went immediately to his team.

"Rich super hero." House said.

"What are you talking about, House?" Foreman asked.

"Our next patient. Well he's technically _my _next patient, but whatever," House said sarcasticly.

"Who is it?" Taub asked, intrested now. Thirteen put down the paper and found herself being sucked into the conversation.

"A man who goes by the name of Iron Man. Anyone know him?" House asked.

"Tony Stark? No way. Tell me your joking," Thirteen asked.

"That sounds right. So who wants in?" inquired House. All three stood up and followed House as he strode out the door.

"So I'm guesing that Cuddy didn't want you to tell us about this right?" Foreman questioned. House grinned.

"Oh, please don't tell mommy. I don't want to get in trouble," House fake-pleaded. Taub chuckled. As the four walked by a window, a helicopter caught their eyes. It wasn't a normal helicopter at all. It looked all too advanced to be in this day. They all lingered at the sight.

"That.... must be him," Foreman stuttered. House nodded.

"Let's go," House said, dead serious now. They arrived to the private room just as Stark was rolled in. House's team entered the room after the several, military-looking men left. Two stayed positioned outside the door. The room was very generic looking. The one painting on the far wall did very little to brighten the room. House motioned for Thirteen to close the door. After the thick door closed, House walked over to Stark. He had an oxygen mask on and he was completely out cold. He was still in the suit from earlier that day.

"Now why would Cuddy not want us here?" Thirteen asked. Foreman and Taub shrugged. House examined the gun shot wound on Stark's chest and saw something that caught his eye. He pulled open Stark's suit and saw the glowing Arc Reactor.

"Maybe that's why..." House whispered.


	3. Pepper Potts

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters…**

A huge thanks to Aaron for the first review! I'm glad you like it and I will follow your advice!

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**Chapter 3**

"Thank you for coming, Miss Potts. Your knowledge of Mr. Stark's lifestyle will be very helpful to Dr. House," said Cuddy.

"Yes it will. I would assume that Mr. Stark is here already so I must insist that I see him now," Pepper said softly.

"Oh, of course. Please follow me," Cuddy requested, standing up from her chair. The two women walked down the hall to the private room Stark was in. The two military men stepped aside to let Cuddy and Pepper in.

"He's right in here," Cuddy said. The door opened and House's team looked up from Tony's chest. Cuddy stood, horrified and astonished at the scene before her. Pepper walked in, completely calm with everything.

"How is he?" Pepper asked, getting the urge to fix his wind-tossed hair. It reminded her of when he came back from being held hostage.

"What is this and who are you?" House asked Pepper, staring at the Arc Reactor.

"House! What did I tell you about your team!" Cuddy yelled, feeling like she was dealing with a seven year old. House didn't look up from the Reactor. Pepper gave Cuddy a weak smile.

"That is an miniature Arc Reactor. It's keeping the shrapnel out of his heart. And my name is Miss Potts. You can call me Pepper though."

"Well Pepper, I can see why Mr. Stark requested me," House said, seriously, "This man needs my help…"

Pepper looked at the team next to house and saw that they were slightly more confused than House. Cuddy pulled House out into the hall with a look of rage on her face. Foreman looked up at Pepper.

"What happened to him?" he asked. Pepper sighed and looked at the unconscious Tony again.

"About ten minutes after we arrived at the office, there was an explosion and gunshots. I went in Tony's office the second things were all clear. He was bare conscious when I got to him. The last thing he said was Dr. House's name. They rushed him here in one of his private helicopters. They wouldn't let me ride with him so I had to take a separate helicopter. I will be talking to Mr. Stark about that when he is better," Pepper said disapprovingly. Foreman looked over at Taub and Thirteen, astonished by the story. Just then, the door flew open and House came limping in.

"Don't you walk away from me, House!" Cuddy yelled. House slammed the door in her face and locked the door.

"That should give us at least some peace for the moment," House sighed. Pepper looked at House, not knowing what to say. House went over to the sink and pulled on a pair of gloves. He turned back to Stark and Pepper.

"From what I've seen, The bullet didn't go in very far. You can thank that "Art Redactor" for that," House said.

"It's an Arc Reactor," Pepper said under her breath. House stared at her and Pepper gave him a quick smile. House looked back down at the bullet wound, obviously trying his hardest to be polite. Something told Pepper that this was not his normal reaction.

"Mr. Stark passed out from shock, that's all," House finished.

"That's all?" Pepper asked. House nodded.

"We can take the bullet out and give him a couple stitches and he'll be just fine," Foreman said. Pepper smiled. Suddenly, Stark groaned and his eyes fluttered.

"He's coming to," Thirteen said.

"Way to state the obvious," House groaned, making Taub roll his eyes.

"Tony? Can you hear me? You're in the hospital. Just relax," Pepper said softly. Tony reached up and removed the breathing mask, wincing. Pepper almost scolded him but decided against it.

"Pepper," Tony breathed.

"Yes, Tony?" Pepper asked.

"I'm sorry if I worried you," Tony whispered. Pepper almost broke down crying right then, but her experience in these tense moments since Tony took up the Iron Man suit helped her to keep it under control.

"It's ok, Tony. You don't have to worry about me."

House rolled his eyes and pulled out a syringe that would knock Stark out in a matter of seconds. He injected it straight into Tony's arm.

"What was that for?" Pepper asked, wondering why Tony would want to be treated by this doctor at all.

"Pepper…." Tony said hoarsely, "The shrapnel. Out." Tony's head slumped to the side and he was out cold.

"What did he mean by that?" House asked. Pepper paused.

"I think he wasn't you to try to take some of the shrapnel out of his chest…" Pepper said.


	4. Tony Stark Again

**Why do I always forget to put these things up until the chapter is already poasted.... Oh hey! (sorry for the lame little _oh hey its you! how is your cat today?_ thing...)**

**Anyways: Disclaimer: I dont own this. yada yada yada... you get the point. **

**Please Please Please! Review people! I need more reviews! I hate to preasure you like this but my ego is taking quite a beating here... Its very painful. How about this. If you guys review, I will write longer chapters! I know its probably been bugging some of you, and this chapter is the shortest. so review! Please and Thank you all! I so happy! readers have passed the 300 mark last night! keep going guys! Love you all! And now I present: (drumroll please) Chapter 4!!! ****Chapter 4**

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Tony felt like he was floating. It was a very strange feeling. Everything was black. He could hear voices in the distance but he couldn't make any of them out. He thought it felt like being underwater. He assumed the voices were not a figment of his imagination, but the doctors and Pepper instead. To keep himself from going crazy he focused on Pepper's voice. It seemed like days that he was floating and every moment, he was searching out Pepper's voice. He soon found this dark, underwater place, to be very peaceful because of Pepper.

Tony was listening to the melodies of Pepper's voice when he felt the warmth of someone's hand around his. This startled him. He couldn't find Pepper's voice. Then Tony thought:

"Is that it then? Am I going to Hell now? Will this warmth turn into a raging fire?"

An extreme depression fell over Tony. He realized that he would never see Pepper again. His heart shattered and he realized exactly how much he loved Pepper. He quickly visualized her face and took in every detail as humanly possible. He was melancholy at how well he could see her. Strangely, his mind put her in the hospital room and the ceiling lights made her look like an angel. It was the heaven he would never reach.

He felt a tear roll down his cheek. The vision of Pepper suddenly looked worried. He wanted to tell her not to worry but he couldn't find his voice. The imaginary Pepper reached over and wiped the tear away and her finger left a trail of warmth where she touched. Tony smiled and so did Pepper.

"It's okay, Tony. Everything is fine," said the angel. Tony could have died then and been happy in Hell. The vision leaned over Tony and kissed him on the cheek. His heart flew and he knew that this couldn't, in any way, be Hell. Tony brought up all his strength and squeezed Pepper's hand weakly. It felt as real as real could be.

Realizing this, Tony's rational mind took over and came to the conclusion that this was all real. He recalled his time in the darkness and made a silent vow to himself that he would be a better man for Pepper. He hoped desperately that it wouldn't be like that time at the Walt Disney Concert Hall when things went terribly wrong all because of him. Guilt flashed through his mind at the memory.

"I'm sorry," he croaked. Pepper looked surprised at his words.

"For what?" she asked. Her voice made his heart flutter again.

"Everything," he said, his voice clearing up a little.

"Don't be. You are who you are because of what you've done. Your whole life has brought you to this point and state of mind. You wouldn't be the same if you took back everything you didn't like in your life."

Tony thought over this and saw the logic in it.

"I'm still sorry." Pepper leaned in towards Tony and he sat up, resisting the urge to wince. They both lingered there for what seemed like hours until the door quickly opened and Dr. House and another doctor came in.

"Hello, Mr. Stark. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," House said, eyeing Tony and Pepper.

They both moved back to their previous positions. Tony silently cursed the doctors. At least the other doctor next to House looked sympathetic.

"Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Stark," said the other doctor. Tony grudgingly nodded. Pepper sighed.

"My name is Dr. Wilson," said the doctor.

"Well, what's going on?" Tony asked.

"We did the surgery," House said, "But, we weren't able to take out all the shrapnel in your chest. Even if we had taken it all out, it wouldn't have mattered. Your ribs have fused around the metal. It is too dangerous to break it apart." Tony subconsciously rubbed his chest. Pepper gently squeezed Tony's hand.

Just as Tony was going to say something, an explosion rocked the room. Pepper yelped and House grabbed the end of the bed.

"What was that?" Wilson yelled. Tony was silent.

"Tony? Tony, what's wrong?" Pepper asked.

"They after me..." Tony whispered.

"Who?" House asked.

"The Ten Rings..."


	5. Chaos

**Disclaimer: **Okay I think you've seen enough of these to know I don't own this. Just the story line.

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**Chapter 5**

"Who the hell are the ten rings?" asked Dr. House.

"There's no time. We have to get out of here." Tony said trying to get out of the bed.

"Tony! Stop it. You can't be walking around yet," Pepper pleaded.

"We have to get out…" Tony whispered as the two doctors pushed him back into the bed. Memories flashed through Tony's mind. Memories that he thought he had buried. Names and dark, cold places he never wanted to remember. He could feel himself breaking apart. The stress was just too much. The room vanished and was replaced by his own personal Hell.

* * *

"Tony? Tony! Can you hear me?" Pepper shouted as more bombs went off. House pulled out a small penlight and flashed it in Tony's eyes.

"No response. His vitals are strong though. He's pushed himself into a coma-like state of mind. We need to get him away from here. Where can we go?" House asked. Pepper grabbed Tony's hand and collected herself.

"T-Tony's house. It's the safest place I know. But not his regular house. The one in Dubai. That's where we need to go," Pepper muttered.

"How are we going to get there?" asked House.

"I can get someone from the military to pick us up. I need a phone," Pepper said moving to a corner of the bed.

"Okay. Wilson, help me get this guy out of here," said House, laying his cane on Tony. Pepper restrained herself from moving the cane off of him. Wilson nodded and grabbed an end of the bed. They unlocked the wheels and moved out into the hall slowly. Pepper ran to the nearest phone and dialed Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes number.

_

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_

Rhodey was stuck doing paper work for the day. He had just met with a Stark Industries CEO to try to get the weapons business started again. He knew it wasn't going to happen but those were his orders. He thought he would be meeting with Tony but no one knew where he was. Rhodey wasn't worried. Tony was probably skipping today. He did that every once in a while. He was most likely in the basement working on the Iron Man suit or the hot rod. Rhodey's phone started to ring and he considered not answering but it could be important. He checked the caller ID and saw it was Pepper.

"Hey, Pepper. What's up?" He asked.

"James. I need your help," Pepper pleaded. Rhodey knew there was trouble. Pepper, or Tony for that matter, never called him by his real name. Plus he could hear bombs and gunfire in the background.

"Where are you? I'm on my way."

"We're at the hospital in Princeton, New Jersey. Bring a helicopter. The terrorists from before are after Tony. We need to bring him to Dubai."

"Is he okay?" Rhodey started running to his commanding officer's office.

"He was already hurt the other day. Bullet wound to the chest. The Arc Reactor saved him. Now he's kind of out of it. I don't blame him…"

"Hang on a sec," Rhodey knocked on the office door and entered saluting, "Sir. Tony Stark is caught in enemy fire in Princeton, New Jersey. Permission to retrieve him and escort him to Dubai?" The Colonel looked caught off guard.

"Permission granted. I'm coming with, Rhodes." Said the Colonel. Rhodey nodded. He knew the Colonel's record. Not one failed mission. He would be a good person to bring along.

"I'm ordering a helicopter pick-up now. How many do you have with?

"Tony, two other doctors and me."

"We're on our way, Pepper. Keep him safe."

* * *

Pepper hung up the phone. And ran out to Tony and the doctors.

"We just have to wait a little bit for the helicopter." Pepper said.

"It had better come soon. This building wasn't made to survive a war zone," commented House.

"True. We should get to the top floor before the elevators stop working," Wilson said over the noise of scrambling nurses.

"Are you all okay?" asked Cuddy rushing towards House.

"Yeah. Stark is comatose and these guys are after him so Potts called a military airlift to get him out of here. We have to go with to keep an eye on Stark's condition," House said getting right to the point.

"Oh, of course," Cuddy said, "The police are on their way."

"It's going to take more than the police to shake these guys off," Pepper sighed, "It's the same people who kidnapped him. I don't know exactly what happened over there but they weren't to happy he got away."

"Terrorists out for revenge. Great," mused House.

"Come on. We've got to get him upstairs," said Wilson.

"Let me help, House," Cuddy said sympathetically.

"I've got it," House said, clearly angry. Pepper looked over and saw House pop a small white pill in his mouth. He sighed and realized she was watching him. "Lets go."

They fought their way through the crowd as Cuddy cleared the way for them. The occasional explosion rocked the building and made the crowd even harder to get through. They pushed Tony's bed into the elevator and pushed the top button. Pepper rolled her eyes as cheesy elevator music floated down from a small speaker in the ceiling.

"I told them to change that…" House stated. The doors opened and they pushed Tony out into a deserted hall. They all stopped and looked around as the elevator doors closed.

"What in the world?" Pepper whispered, getting a horrible feeling.

"Open the elevator, now," House said in a hushed voice. A terrified Cuddy pushed the button multiple times.

"It's shut down," Cuddy whimpered. Pepper breathed in deeply. She could properly think now. There was obviously trouble around. Like Tony, she was able to come up with multiple ways to deal with the situation.

"This way," Pepper said pointing to a small room down the hall. Just as they started moving, a foreign looking man came around the corner. He was holding a gun that Pepper was able to identify as part of the Stark Industries line.

_So this is what Tony had to deal with in that place. _Pepper's blood began to boil. The man saw them and began yelling something in a strange language. The rest of the group dashed into the room, but Pepper just stood there. She usually wasn't a violent person, but now, she wished she had a gun or any weapon. The man held the gun up and walked towards Pepper. A small voice in the back of her head was screaming to run but she blocked it out. Even the terrified voices of the group behind her were blocked out. Pepper wasn't afraid. She figured if Tony stood up to all those men, she could at least stand up to one. He said something again but quieter. Then he fell to the ground. Blood pooled around him. Pepper looked down dazed.

"Come on! We have to go now. The helicopter has to leave soon," said a military man. He pulled Pepper up the stairs to the roof. Her hair was tossed around by the wind of the helicopter blades

"Where's Tony?" Pepper muttered.

"He's already in the chopper," said the man handing Pepper off to another man.

"Let's go!" yelled the pilot as one of the men shot down another terrorist. The helicopter glided off the building and over the crowd of police.


	6. House and Potts

**So when i was writing this chapter, I was slightly depressed and also listening to some dark music (Ludo, go check them out) so this chapter came out a little darker than i'm used to writing. So I kinda like this chapter. Give me some input and tell me if you like it or not. Thanks for reading! **

Chapter 6

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Everyone in the chopper was staring at Pepper. She felt like their stares were burning holes in her. She wanted to tell them to back off but she didn't trust her voice. She could only think about what Tony would say when he came to. She was so selfish to put herself out there like that. No doubt Tony would be angry with her.

"What the hell were you thinking?" House demanded leaning over to her. Pepper looked away from them.

"Miss Potts? Are you okay?" Wilson asked, shouting over the wind. House rolled his eyes.

"Talk to me!" House yelled.

"No!" Pepper screamed, "I don't want to talk about it!" Cuddy comforted her as she burst into tears.

"Why do you always have to push things, House?" Cuddy shouted.

"Because they need to be pushed!" House argued, "They need to get out!"

Pepper continued sobbing as the people around her tore each other with their words. The military men tried to calm the situation but it was all in vain. House ended up slapping Cuddy and only then was he restrained. They were all warned to stop and the only sounds to be herd the rest of the way was the harsh wind and Pepper's sobs.

The helicopter landed ten minutes later and they all filed into an empty building. Pepper sat alone in a corner as the transport plane was being prepped. Rhodey came into the building and saw Pepper.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked. Pepper just nodded.

"Do you want me to stay?" He asked, trying to get something out of her. Pepper answered with a shake of her head. Rhodey got up and told her he was just outside if she needed him. She sat alone for about thirty more seconds before House limped over. He sat down next to her without saying anything for a while.

"Look, I'm not good at apologies so don't expect one. I just want to know why you did it." House said as softly as he could. Pepper didn't answer for a while. House was about to press her more when she spoke.

"Tony was caught in enemy fire and I couldn't do anything about it. I hate feeling so helpless. I guess I wanted to prove to myself that I could be as strong as Tony, but what I did was just stupid. I could have been killed and then I wouldn't have proven anything.

"You still didn't prove anything but it is an interesting thing to try to prove. If you can just make it through life without pulling the trigger or slitting you throat, you've proven that you're strong enough," House said.

"That's a good way to put it," Pepper said looking up at House. She never noticed that his eyes were ice blue. Possibly warning people of his icy heart. They stared at each other for a while. House seemed to be debating something in his mind. Pepper didn't know why she couldn't break away. She leaned into House slightly and he closed the distance. The kiss wasn't perfect by all means. Pepper could taste anger, reluctance and medication on his tongue. But she was desperate for comfort and House was the closest thing she had. She felt like everything was going to be all right when House pulled her closer.

House was the first to break away. He looked her over. Pepper figured that she must have looked like a wreck: red eyes and a scratchy voice from crying so long. House looked far from his best as well: dark rings under his eyes and neglect to shave in several days. But there was something deeper that looks that made Pepper enjoy Houses company. It felt like he had the ability to give and take pain as he pleased. Pepper had now felt both sides of him.

"Don't leave me," Pepper begged. House nodded and pulled her against his chest. The last thing Pepper saw before she fell asleep was Rhodey looking at her through the window, shaking his head at her: _Tony…_

* * *

The plane was all prepped to go and everyone was loaded onto the plane. House had one of the military men carry Pepper onto the plane, a regular passenger plane, and set her in the back, away from the rest of the group. House sat next to her the whole ride. He felt some connection to this woman he had barely met. He could see why they partially got along. They were both hurt souls that are tired of waiting. House saw how she looked at Stark. He hurt her and loved her at the same time. If he were Stark, he would have jumped on this opportunity a long time ago. He doubted it would last long between them though. Potts would get over everything and she would go running back in to Starks arms the second he was conscious again. So he convinced himself not to get attached to this girl. Too late.


End file.
